By Lt. Jay Baker, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office  

The Cherokee Marshal's Office was recently awarded state certification by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. In Tuesday night’s Commission meeting Sheriff Roger Garrison presented Chief Marshal Ray Waters and his assistant Jo-Ann Faverey with plaques commemorating the achievement.

Certification is a progressive and time-proven way of helping law enforcement agencies calculate and improve their overall performances. The foundation of certification lies in the promulgation of standards containing a clear statement of professional objectives. Participating agencies conduct a thorough self-analysis to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet these objectives. When the procedures are in place, a team of trained assessors verifies that applicable standards have been successfully implemented. The process culminates with a decision by a joint executive committee that the agency has met the requirements for certification.

Certification status represents a significant professional achievement. Certification acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.